Everyone could use a nice, satisfying stretch every now and then. Here are 10 that will make you feel fantastic.
BuzzFeed Life spoke with personal trainer Mary Jane Detroyer, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., who recommended these 10 easy stretches. She says they'll help reduce muscle soreness, lower your stress, and minimize your risk of injury, while improving athletic function and performance. Pretty great.
The best part: You can do these stretches anytime you need to, and pretty much anywhere. Just make sure that you ease into them slowly if you haven't already warmed up, so you don't hurt yourself. Also if any of this is painful, you either shouldn't stretch as deeply or you should stop doing the stretch altogether. Feeling stiff is normal, and some people will be more flexible than others. But you want this to feel good, not bad.
1. If you want to give your abs a stretch:
2. If you want to stretch those hip flexors:
3. If you want to stretch your lower back:
4. If you want to stretch your upper back:
5. If you want to stretch out your biceps:
6. If you want to stretch out your triceps:
7. If you want to stretch your glutes:
8. If you want to get your groin and inner thighs:
10 Amazing 5-Minute Workouts To Tone Your Abs, Inner Thighs, Butt and Arms
Try these ten 5-minute at home workouts to tone your abs, arms, thighs, and butt! This list with printable workouts is all you need! Almost no equipment/ time involved.
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I did some more research on short printable workouts and this time I’ve got the best toning workouts for you here! Each workout is just 5 minutes and focuses on a different area of your body. So if you don’t have any time, but want to squeeze in a short workout before dinner or even before going out of your house in the morning (basically whenever you’ve got time) – these workouts here will help you do that.
Options
There are different options with these workouts:
Option 1: You do one workout daily, focusing on a different muscle group every time. For example, if one day you do arm exercises, the other day you do butt exercises, allowing time for your muscles to grow while training other muscles.
Option 2: If you have more time, combine workouts targeting different muscle groups to train your entire body in approximately 20 minutes a day.
Option 3: Or if you have 9-12 minutes combine one of these strength workouts with a fat-burning workout from my other list of short workouts.
Either way – there are no excuses to not do a workout every day, even if it’s just 5 minutes. It will not just tone you up, it will also give you a sense of accomplishment. That’s what it does for me at least. If I don’t do any workout I not only feel more lethargic, yet kinda passive aggressive, I also feel super guilty. Because I am a woman and I need to do it all, you know? But let’s not dig deep into that mess and just go straight to the workouts!
The only equipment you’ll need here:
Now, let’s get to the 5-Minute Ab Workouts
I don’t think it would be a lie if I just claim that a flat belly is on every woman’s (or really every person’s) wish list.
4-Minute Tabata Workout By Kayla Itsines
Okay, this workout doesn’t even take 5 min. If you haven’t heard of Kayla Itsines and her workouts – you must be living under a rock. I feel like I’ve been living under a rock myself because I only heard of her about a year ago. Well if you look at the transformations and testimonials on her Instagram profile – you’ll be very inspired to do this Tabata Ab Blast Workout by Kayla Itsines. This is a Tabata workout – making sure you burn fat, while simultaneously strengthening your abs and core. Great for a flat tummy. If you’re feeling motivated – repeat the circle for a great 8-minute ab workout.
5-Minute Plank Workout
This 5-minute plank workout by Eat Fit Fuel will tone your abs, chest, and core without almost any movement! 5 minutes, no movement and toned abs? Seems like a great deal to me.
5-Minute Ab Workout by Popsugar Fitness
This 5-minute Abs Workout for busy mornings by Popsugar Fitness starts with some mountain climbers to bring your hear rate up and then tones your entire core! A strong core is super important to stabilize your spine (your entire body, really) and helps you maintain a good posture! For full instructions visit this link.
5-Minute Pilates Abs
Pilates is a great way to get toned and strong without any weights. It allows you to train deep muscles, you simply don’t exercise with regular training. This Pilates Workout by The Soccer Mom Blog will help you strengthen and tone your abdominals, especially the lower abs! If you have more time to try out pilates – take a look at my 8 favorite youtube pilates workouts to tone your abs, butt and inner thighs while simply lying on your mat.
5-Minute Arm Workouts
Strong and toned arms not only look better when you wave at someone – they also help you perform your everyday tasks better. Whether it be carrying your groceries, your child or lifting something heavy – you need some arm strength. And don’t worry, these arm workouts won’t make your arms look like The Hulk’s.
5-Minute Routine For Strong, Slim Arms
To get strong and slim arms, try this 5-Minute Yoga Routine by Health. A great arm workout without any dumbbells? Sounds pretty awesome.
5-Minute Arm Toning Workout
A great 5-Minute Arm Workout by Popsugar Fitness. This workout will also strengthen your core and your neck and shoulder muscles (super important if you have a desk job and sit in front of the computer all the time). There’s also a video and the trainer does some additional exercises that are not featured here, so make sure you check out the complete workout with instructions here.
Legs and Butt Workouts
Summer is almost here and toned legs & butt are always in. The following workouts will help you get lean legs, without making them bigger. Which I don’t know about you, but is one of my biggest problems with most leg workouts. Once I start running or doing too many squats, instead of getting slimmer legs, I get bulkier legs. And my legs are not that long. So short and thick legs? Well. Not my dream. It might be someone’s goal, but not mine. I prefer toned, yet slim legs. If this is your goal as well – try these workouts.
5-Minute Workouts For Toned Legs & Inner Thighs
This 5 minute to leaner legs workout by Get Healthy U will help you tone your inner thighs and your butt by doing some plié squats (targeting inner thighs), single leg bridges and fire hydrants (target the butt)! Make sure you check out the instructions – you’ll also get a 5-minute cardio workout to burn some fat.
Lazy Girl’s Inner-Thigh Workout
This Inner Thigh Workout by Popsugar Fitness comes along with a video and you don’t even need to stand up! Which means, YES, our dreams are coming true: we can basically tone our inner thighs while still laying in bed. Lazy or not – this is an absolutely amazing workout for your inner thighs.
5-Minute Booty Barre Workout
Did you know that there are other ways to tone your booty besides squats? Not that there’s anything wrong with squats, but this 5 minute barre workout by The Live Fit Girls will help you tone different muscles as well.
5-Minute Butt Firming Workout
Last but not least – a great 5-Minute Butt Firming Workout by Skinny Ms – no standing up required. Check out this link for full instructions!
The stresses of your everyday activities can put a lot of strain on our shoulders making them stiff and sore. Here are some excellent stretches to loosen them.
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